I find myself drawn to historical fiction books based on WWII. This one was a different focus in that it highlighted the use of homing pigeons. I was struck from the very beginning with the knowledge that most of the pigeons would never return. But the individuals who were part of the National Pigeon Service were willing to sacrifice their birds for the efforts to fight again Hitler’s Reign of Terror. The author does a wonderful job of bringing the horrors of war … fear, starvation, and the overwhelming sense of the unknown … and balances it out with courage, hope, and resilience. What an amazing story that reminds the reader that there are individuals who are willing to sacrifice everything to bring hope and inspiration alive.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Scognamiglio Book for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The Long Flight Home is the first book I have read by this author. it's a fascinating historical novel that I quite enjoyed reading.

Synopsis:
Set during the London Blitz and “Operation Columba,” when British Services enlisted the aid of over 200,000 homing pigeons to carry coded messages across enemy lines and into Nazi-occupied Europe, THE LONG FLIGHT HOME is based on little-known, though deeply moving historical events. It’s an almost-love story between two orphans brought together, and then driven apart by war; a testament to the heroism of animals; a bittersweet tale of love, sacrifice, and the tragedy of war inspired by actual events…

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

The cover with the pigeon is such a great tie in to the book. I don't know if I really believed homing pigeons were that smart, but after reading this and seeing the devotion and training that goes on, it was really proved to me that they were an important part of the war effort.

3.5*
Carrier pigeons were the little-known heroes of WWII. Susan and her grandfather live in England and raise pigeons. They are recruited to volunteer their birds to carry messages across the English Channel from France back to England. Ollie is an American who finds himself homeless and alone in 1940. After his grandfather died, debt took the crop-dusting business and his home, leaving the young man with nowhere to go. Dismayed at the American government’s reluctance to join the war in Europe, Ollie goes to Canada to catch a flight to England where he hopes to join the RAF (Royal Air Force.)

On his way to secure passage to Europe, Ollie is beaten and his money is stolen, leaving him penniless. He manages to work his way across the ocean but once in England he runs into further problems. An honorable young man, he tries to help a girl which puts him in more jeopardy. Thankfully, the girl’s grandfather helps him out by getting permission for him to work on the carrier pigeon initiative.

Duchess is Susan’s pet pigeon. It is a beloved bird that becomes a centerpiece in the drama. Duchess will worm its way into the hearts of readers as it demonstrates great courage. Ollie now has a job but his troubles persist as he accidentally ends up in a crashed military plan in France with a soldier who dislikes him. His desire to get back to England is bolstered by thoughts of Susan and her kindness.

The characters are fictional but the carrier pigeon aspect is based upon the real Operation Columba that utilized pigeons during the war. Hlad’s writing about Duchess and the other pigeons is tender and brings a warmth to this wartime setting. Susan’s grandfather is feisty and lovable. He has instilled the same dedication in his granddaughter. It’s no surprise that Ollie and Susan are drawn to each other. This touching story of bravery and commitment should have great appeal to lovers of historical fiction. Recents books such as Operation Columba: the Secret Pigeon Service on the carrier pigeon program in England would be a good complement to this fictional tale.

The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad is an amazing book for anyone interested in World War II History. The book is about how the British Army utilized homing pigeons during the war. This is told through the story of Susan and her grandfather Bertie, who trained homing pigeons and were “recruited” by the British army to provide them with homing pigeons for various missions. Of course, what good historical fiction book doesn’t include a romance, and this one had an interesting one. Ollie, and American came to join the British Army and ends up helping Susan and Bertie train the pigeons, but also ends up on a mission with the pigeons.

I thought this story was a great way to tell the less known story of the use of homing pigeons, and my description doesn’t give this story justice at all, because if I tried to tell you more I’d ruin the story for you.

I give this book at 4 out of 5 I really enjoyed Alan’s writing. I was not only invested in what was going to happen to Susan, Ollie and Bertie, but I also found myself invested in the pigeons themselves.

The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad was released on June 25, 2019, and is available to read NOW.

Susan Shepherd and her grandfather Bertie raise homing pigeons in Epping, England. With the German Luftwaffe bombing London every night during WWII, Bertie and Susan are asked to have their pigeons join a secret mission called Source Columbia in which pigeons will be dropped into occupied France in order to assist in the French Resistance. While returning from the Source Columbia meeting, Susan meets Ollie Evans (a crop duster from Maine who has come to London in hopes of joining the Royal Air Force). Circumstances arise that cause Ollie to come work at the Shepherd farm. On the day of the mission, something goes horribly wrong and Ollie finds himself stuck in France with Susan's favorite pigeon Duchess who was not supposed to have gone on the mission at all.

I found this book to be quite fascinating and just want other readers to know that it is definitely a must read book. I was on my own long plane flight home from visiting family and was pleased that I got to devote so much time getting to read this book in one sitting. I thought it was interesting to discover what parts of this story were based on real events in the author's note and found the premise of the love story to be so unique compared to other WWII stories that I have frequently read in the past. This was one of those books I started to tell my friends to read even before I was done reading it, so it truly was an enjoyable read. I just wish the circumstances at the end of the book could have been different, but the way they turned out for the characters are probably more realistic.

Thanks so much to Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts expressed in this review are my honest opinions of the book.

I must be a sucker for sad books. Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read and it mirrors true historical events that have happened.
There are a lot of tragic events that have happened in past history.
I enjoy reading the description of events leading up to a historic event, even a sad one.
The history is past and I can't change it but I sure would like to take the characters and say don't do that, or run away, so and so is going to happen to you if you don't do a certain thing.
They say hind sight is 2o/20, whoever they are. Not sure it does any good anyway.
I have read a lot of books about World War II but what fascinated me about this is the book deals with little known events during World War II.
I have heard of war pigeons but in this book you will find the full scope of how useful they were .
I felt a compassion for the pigeons especially the main one, Duchess who is based on an actual war pigeon.
With bombs raining down and war shelters debatable if they even offered proper shelter this story of the London Blitz is amazing . So many men,women and children perished under the Nazi reign.
The Long Flight Home is about outstanding courage during one of our darkest times. Such strength and resilience despite the odds being against them!
I strongly recommend this book!
Published June 25th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corp.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

One of my favorite books of the year! I really enjoyed the history behind the story with the pigeon service. I loved the characters of Susan and Ollie. The plot was well written and kept me wanting to read more.

This book is so well researched and written. The Long Flight Home switches POV between Susan, a young pigeon farmer in England, and Ollie, a young crop duster in Maine. The United States is still neutral when Ollie decides that he wants to join the war as a pilot. He comes from British heritage and decides to join the Royal Air Force. He just needs to get to London. Susan has paused her college education because of the war and because her grandfather (who raised her) is in need of her help.

Susan and Ollie meet in a bit of a "meet cute". Ollie is a lovable character who constantly finds himself landing in one disastrous situation after another. Susan is a strong, intelligent woman who will stand up for herself in any situation. Susan, Ollie, and her Grandfather become involved in a covert pigeon operation called Source Columba. This operation depends on pigeons being dropped into France and carrying messages back to England.

This book was fantastic! I really enjoyed the unique story line involving war pigeons and their prominent involvement in the WWII effort. I've read a lot of HF and it seems like authors are trying to write the next best version of "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah. I appreciate that this book didn't try to do that. It picked a small part of the war effort that made a big impact on the outcome of the war.
This book was wonderful! it focused on homing pigeons - the unsung hero! It was so fun to learn about another aspect of the war and the cleverness involved in outsmarting Nazi intelligence.
Also, the author's note was a wonderful touch! I enjoyed finding out how much of the story was based on facts!

Based on true events, The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad is an historical fiction lover's delight! The focus on homing pigeons used during WWII is a fresh and fascinating subject. I also appreciated Hlad's depth of research into the London Blitz. This debut novel is very well written and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alan Hlad, and Kensington Books for providing me with the opportunity to read and comment on this book. I've already added a hard cover copy to my personal library! Looking forward to sharing this story with friends and family.

The Long Flight Home details the secret mission the English used during World War II that utilized pigeons to carry messages to and from behind enemy lines to the trainers of the pigeons that made up the National Pigeon Service. The characters include a training pair – Bertie Shepard and his granddaughter Susan. They meet a young American pilot named Ollie that has come to England to help in the war effort. In a series of unfortunate circumstances, Ollie finds himself behind enemy lines with Susan’s pet pigeon, Duchess. Although Duchess was not trained for the war effort, she is able to make numerous trips in order to inform English officials of enemy positions and Ollie’s location. The book is fascinating, learning the ability of pigeons and how effective they were in World War II. It is thrilling and action packed – readers of World War II will not be disappointed.
I received this book from NetGalley and Kensington books for an honest review. I loved it!!

The Long Flight Home is a world war II story that takes place in 1940 before the US entered the war. This story is not one I think I have ever read before. The main characters are Susan, a pigeon trainer for the National Pigeon Service, and Ollie, a young American flyer.

This is a war time love story that take places while pigeons are used to receive intelligence from the continent. The Long Flight Home was as good as any WWII novel but I think what made me like it is that most of the novels now are spy novels and this was different.

If you like historical fiction and want a slightly different war novel definitely grab this one.

This is a magnificent story of how homing pigeons were used during WWII. It is also the story of Susan and Ollie who were involved with the mission and It is a miraculous story of hope.
Every page is to be savored.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Long Flight Home is a Historical fiction novel that takes place in September of 1940, before America had entered the war. It follows Ollie Evans, a crop duster from Maine, on his quest to join the Royal British Air Force to honor his fathers memory.
In Ollie’s quest to join the Royal British Air Force, a serious of events brings him to Epping Forest, where a man, Bertie Shepherd raises carrier pigeons with his granddaughter, Susan Shepherd. They have been enlisted in helping the National Pigeon Service to help get several hundred pigeons dropped behind enemy lines to get messages to their soldier fighting there.
As Ollie works side by side with Susan in caring and training of the birds, their friendship deepens and he begins to appreciate the beauty and intelligence of these birds that she loves so much. One of the pigeons in particular, is Duchess. She is a beautiful pigeon who was nursed from the time she was an egg to a full grown pigeon, by Susan. They are bonded together and Duchess will go wherever Susan goes. She is not part of the fleet that will be dropped behind enemy lines.
The day comes to take the pigeons to the air field to be prepped and dropped into France. Ollie offers to take them. As they are loading the plane, he realizes that Duchess was accidentally packed with the rest of the pigeons and is put on the plane to be dropped with the rest of the pigeons. He sneaks onto the plane to try to get Duchess, so he can return her to Susan, and the plane takes off with them both inside.
As events unfold, Ollie finds himself behind enemy lines, in the heart of occupied France. Through it all he managed to keep Duchess with him. Ollie decides to set Duchess free in hopes that she can find her way back to Susan. Before he lets her go, he places a note in her container to carry back to Susan. And so begins the story of a pigeon that was able to carry vital information about the war behind enemy lines to the British Military and fuels a love across continents.
Will Ollie make it back to Susan? Will Duchess be able to get the messages to their rightful owner? Will Bertie and Susan survive the war in the small farm in Epping Forest? Only time will tell.

I really enjoyed this book. I love Historical fiction, particularly WWII. How brave and noble these men and women were that fought for the good guys always gets me. This book had me instantly. Ollie was a genuine good guy who was looking to do the right thing at every point. Susan was an intelligent, independent, and strong woman in a time when it was looked down to be so. I felt an immediate kinship with her. I loved all of the characters in this book. They were well written and they all had so much personality, it was fun to read about them.
Really the only thing that I didn't like about this book is length. It felt as thought the author wasn’t sure how to continue the story and decided that it was best to end it then to continue. This book could easily have been twice as long as it was and still have been a great book. I wish it would’ve followed them through the rest of the war. They both would’ve had an extraordinary story to follow.

Lovers of historical fiction will not want to miss The Long Flight Home. I enjoyed this story so much that I finished it and then a day later, started it again. I also found it interesting to learn about the role the pigeons and trainers played during the war.

This was a great book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

This WWII historical fiction shines light on a relatively little unknown aspect of the war called the National Pigeon Service. Their goal was to provide trained homing pigeons so the RAF could drop them behind enemy lines in France with encrypted messages back and forth to track enemy movements. Excellent research notes were provided at the end.
The book however is more of a love story which I found to be contrived and predictable. Ollie is a farm boy from Maine who wants to fly for the RAF and Susan raised homing pigeons who’ve been conscripted into use for the war effort. Ollie ends up being assigned to work with Susan and her grandfather. The story was well told it just was missing the intensity and urgency I’ve gotten used to. I also felt the characters could have been more thoroughly. I would give it a 3.5
I’d like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the Arc. Keeping in mind that this was a debut work in an overcrowded genre I would be interested in reading his future work.

Ollie was the perfect American gentleman portrayed in this narrative. Hlad perfectly showed Ollie’s inner conflict when he disagrees with his parents but still loves them so. Ollie is willing to put his own life aside to care for his father after his accident and Ollie’s grief is palpable after his parent’s accident. Ollie’s loyalty and courage shine through throughout this story.

Although a little morbid at times, Susan is strong, willful and brave. In a time when women were held back and made to depend on men Susan holds her own and shows that women can be of service during the war as well. Her love for her grandfather is fierce and the sadness that she feels over the loss of her grandmother and parents is heartbreaking but beautiful.

Bertie was probably my favorite character in the book. He takes care of his granddaughter while also raising and caring for these pigeons that play such a huge role in the war. He is kind and loyal and takes Ollie in even as a stranger. What I love most about Bertie is that even though he wants to protect her, he pushes Susan to think and act for herself and encourages her to not allow anyone to hold her back just because of her gender.

We all face the eventual choice of having to take care of our parents and put our own needs aside for theirs and this is portrayed beautifully in this story. Each of these characters put the needs of their family members aside for their own and shows such beautiful selflessness.

Since this is based on fact and events that truly happened there is not much room for world building but the character development throughout the story is great. The depth of Susan’s grief at Bertie’s passing is heart-wrenching but still, she refuses to give up and doesn’t allow herself to be treated as a “helpless woman”. Susan is a strong woman from the beginning but as the story progresses and she ends up alone she develops into this broken but still strong-willed and self-sufficient woman.

The fact that Britain used more than 200,000 war pigeons between 1939 and 1945 and that of those 16,000 were parachuted into German-occupied France, was fascinating to me.

The details and facts for this book were obviously well researched. It was an emotional and beautiful story that was full of hope and love. I would definitely recommend this book

In Epping, England in September 1940, Susan Shepherd and her grandfather, Bertie are raising pigeons for The National Pigeon Service to be used in the war. A chance meeting on a train between Susan and Oliver Evans, a potato farmer from Maine, add a romantic element to the book. I really enjoyed the history in this book concerning the use of pigeons during the war. I had heard mention of it but never heard the details so this was very interesting to me. This is a very exciting book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves World War II historical fiction. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this very interesting book in exchange for an honest review.